Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has played down talk of Antoine Griezmann moving to Manchester United following his side’s exit from the Champions League group stages.

The Frenchman was on the verge of moving to Old Trafford over the summer but decided to remain at the club in light of their transfer ban upheld.

But he has endured a torrid time in Spain over the last few months and his agent recently claimed that his time at Atletico was coming to an end.

And when asked whether Atletico’s early Champions League exit following a 1-1 draw with Chelsea would further grease the wheels for an imminent exit, Simeone was quick to play down any talk of a move away for the 26-year-old.

“On the contrary, it is a new challenge,” he insisted. “Everything that is bad, we make it into a positive.”

I like Simone’s logic here. I crashed my car yesterday, but hey, look on the bright side: got loads of likes on the following Instagram post and I’m going to submit the crushed heap of metal to an art gallery. Everything’s coming up Milhouse!

But no, seriously: now is the time to remind you that Griezmann’s potential move to Old Trafford last summer always relied upon Man United reaching the Champions League, so it would follow that he views playing in Europe’s biggest competition is a must.

If a move away wasn’t guaranteed already, it most certainly is, and could even occur next month.